Ranking of 46 is the highest in at least 12 years, driven by strong economic growth and progress on affordable housing and broadband access.
Today Mayor Tim Kelly announced that Chattanooga rose 26 places in the latest Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities rankings, moving up to 46 from 72, placing Chattanooga third amongst Tennessee’s largest cities.
This year’s ranking is the highest in at least 12 years, and places Chattanooga above cities like Boulder, Asheville, Boston, Oklahoma City, and Philadelphia. It’s also the first of the series based primarily on data from Mayor Kelly’s time in office. According to Milken “the 2024 index and rankings are mainly based on data from 2022.”
“This vault up the rankings reflects the hard work we’ve done to improve our city as we put the One Chattanooga plan into action,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “According to this independent analysis, we’ve increased economic growth, raised wages, and made meaningful strides on affordable housing and broadband. We still have a lot of work to do to make Chattanooga the best city in America, but everyone in our community should be proud of our progress.”
To view the full Milken Best-Performing Cities rankings and see information on their methodology, click here.